Teat-cup of milking-machines



i H.. DAVES.

?EM CUP OF MILKNG MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILD MAY 5. 1920.

Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

2 SHEETS--SHEET n.

n &

J. H. DAV|ES.`

TEAT CUP OF MILKING MACHNES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY5.192U.

Patenta& Jan. 18, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFICE.

JOHN E. nam, ormom .NUM 'mar-cm OF M ILKING-MAEINES.

' Speoifloation ot Letters ment.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, JOHNHENRY DAvms a subject of the King of GreatBritain and Ireland, and a resident of the city of Melbourne, in thecounty of Bourke, State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia, (whosepost-oflice address is 592 Bourke street, in the said city ofMelbourne,) have invented certain new and -useful Improvements Relatingto the Teat-Cups of Milk-,

ingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pneumatic milking1 machines, and in particularto teat cups an connections thereto. In the past, when a teat cup hasfallen from a cow during milking Operations, it has been necessary,

to turn the fallen cup over onto the claw in order to prevent the otherteat cups from falling from the animal. The bend'ng of the flexible tubeor tubes supportin the teat cup cuts ofi' communication wit theatmosphere and prevents a temporary reduction of the vacuum. The samemove/ cp o I until the particular cup concemed selevated for connectionto' the teat of the cow. By the same means, a similar result is obtainedbefore any of the teat cups are attached to the animal.

The present invention contem lates a connection applicable direct to t eteat cup whereby the source of vacuum to each cup may be automaticallyand independently cut ofi until the articular teat cup concerned iselevatei for connection to the animal. w

By the invention, which is of an extremely simple and convenient nature,the automatic cut ofi mechanism may also be applied to the cups ofexisting milking machines without altering or interfering with the clawsthereof. The invention is applicable to a variet of forms of teat cupsand may be adapte to certain cl of teat cups of. existing machines at aminimum of 'ex r se. i i

t s to be distinctly understood'that the,

invention is not limited for use inconnec- Patented Jan. is, 1921.

tion with any particular teat cup, and

although in the following` description a specal type of teat cup isdescribed in detail,'the invention may be used with equal advantage`upon man other types. It is also to be understoo that the-term f'vacuumwhen .used herein isto be construed i as having the meaning understoodinconnwtion with milking machinerv, and that,

the term rotary plug is to be likewise construed as the plug shownherein does not i v rotate.

Beferring to the drawings Wl'llfih form part of this specificationz- VFigure 1 is a sectional view showing the invention applied to a knowntype of teat i cu i u v g. 2 is an end elevation of aclosure, a ta eredplug being removed.

ig. 3 is a plan of Fig. 2.

plug. a

Big. 5 is a. side elevation of` Fig. 4. i Fig. 6 is an end sectionalelevation of the closure, the ta ered plug being in position.

Fig. 7 is a p an on line A--A Fig. 1.

i Fig. 4 is an end elevation of a tapered Fig. 8 is a side elevationshowing one form of the invention for use with teat cups having milkdischarge and pulsation npples. i

wherein an annular groove is formed in the closure instead of in theflexible inner tube of the teat cup. 4

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of a modifica- 'Fig. 9 is a modification ofthe invention i\ tion wherein in the event of leakage milk v does notpass to the pulsation passages. i w

Fig. 11 is an en elevation of a closure having an air passage therein toprevent i,

leakage of milk into the pulsation passages.

Fig. 12 is a plan of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is an end elevation of a closure wherein the suction andpulsation nipples are bent or curved.

Fig. 14 is a sectional view showing the closure seen in Fig. 11 inposition.

j Fig. 15 is a detal view showing the application of the invention tothat class of teat cup wherein it is convenient to provide separatecut-off`mechan-ism for the milk diseharge and pulsation nipples of theteat cup. A teat cup according to the invention may co'mprise a metalliccasing 2 and the usual central flexible inner tube 3 which fits on tothe teat ofthe cow. u The upper'e'nd of this central flexible inner tube3 is folded over the to of the metallic outer casing as at 4 and`protected by a eap 5. An internal annular groove indicated at 6 isformed in the inner surface of the inner flexible central tube 3 whichlatter also has a series of vertical grooves indicated at 7 in its outersurface. The grooves 7 communieateby means of holes or a 'turesindicated at 8, spaced at suitable dstances apart, with the groove 6and'with a seriesof external Vertical flats 9 formed 'on'the outersurface' of the said tube 3. Coinciding with the flats 9 is a series ofinternal vertical protuberanees 10. .The walls of the tube 3 includingthe vertical flats 9 and rotuberances 10 vary in thickness being t innernear the upper end' and gradually increasing in thickness as theyapproach the lower end in order that a maximum pressure may be obtainednear the top of the teat, the pressure radually diminishing as itapproaches the ower end. By this means an effective pulsating action isobtained which has been found most desirable in milking by machinery.

The lower end of the fiexible inner tube 3 has an external collar 11encircling a circular hole to accommodate an upwardly tapered closurehereinafter described.

Accommodated in the circular hole at the lower end of the tube 3 is anupwardly tapered closure 12 having formed in its upper end a cupindicated at 13. The closure is also provided with avertical milkdischarge hole indicated at 14. Formed in the closure' is a pulsationport indicated at 15. This communicates with the internal annular %move6 in the inner surface of the tube 3. he milk discharge hole 14 and'pulsation port 15 pass through the closure to the bottom thereof.Integral with the lower end of the closure is an open ended tapered plugcasing 16 having therein a mouth or assageway ndicated at 17. The sides18 of the passageway form limit stops.

Disposed within the easing 16 is a tapered rotary plug 19 having thereina milk or suction port indicated at 20 and a pulsation port indicated at21. The ports 20 and 21 are adapted to communicate when the teat cup isin active use, with the discharge hole 14 and pulsation port 15 of theclosure. Each of the said ports 20 and 21 also communicates permanentlywith a suction nipple 22 and .a pulsation nipple 23. The nipples 22 and23 are disposed at an agle to the plug 19 as seen in Fig. 6. They may becurved or bent as seen in Figs. 13 to 15 the object in either case beingto exert such a leverage as wll cause a positive cnt-of when a teat cupfalls from ts mlkng or 'operative position, a plug having verticallydisposed nipples would be liable to fall in action. The nipplcs byflexible suction tubing 24 and flexible pulsation tubing 25 areconnected to a claw of any suitable or usual type.` Formed upon therotary plug 19 is a reduced portion or shoulder 24' havin a portion cutaway as at 25 Extending yond the shoulder 24' is a reduced threaded end26. Dis sed upon the shoulder 24' is a Washer 27 aring upon which is anut 28 threaded u n the reduced end 26. The closure 12 an casing 16thereof are capable of a partial rotary movement in relation to therotary plug 19 whereby communication may -be opened or closed betweenthe corresponding passages or ports of the closure and the rotary plugaccording to the relative positions thereof. The angular arrangement ofthe nipples 22 and 23 causes positive action as before mentioned. Therotary plug, the easing sup rting the same, and the milk and pulsatonconncctions may be modified to suit requirements. It will also be seenthat the ports or passages in the rotary plu are free from objectionablebends (whici are difiicult to cleanse with a brush) particu larly whenthe nipples are curved.

Instead of the teat cup being of the character described it may be ofany suitable form. Further in some instances the closure 12 may bedispensed with and the rotary plug 19 and its appurtenances'connecteddirectly to the base of the teat cup or to nipples or tubes leadingtherefrom. Some forms of teat cups have a discharge nipple and a pulsation nipple connected to or formed in tegral with the teat cup. Toapply the invention to a teat cup of this character, the said nipples,indicated at 26 and 27', in Fig. 8 of the drawings, are connected to thecircular casing 16 carrying the rotary plug 19, the said casing havingthe milk discharge hole 14 and pulsation port 15 formed therein tocommunicate with the said nipples. The movement of the casing relativeto the ports in the rotary plug makes or breaks communication in themanne' described and as is obvious from the drawin According to afurther modification tie internal anular groove 6 in the interior of theinner central fiexible tube 3 may be dispensed with and the said annulargroovc formed in the outer surface of the closure 12 as indicated inFig. 9 of the drawings.

Further, an additional annular groove indicated at 28 may be formed inthe interior of the central flexible tube 3 as indicated in Fig. 10, orit may be formed in the outer surface of the closure 12. The additionalgroove 28 communicates by a suitable passage, indicated at 29, with apassage, indicatage. a a

With a nilking machine fitted with teat cups accordin to. the presentinvention, no detrimental e ect or breaking down of the vacuum can take.place should a teat cup fall from a eow, for the reason that the weightof the teat cup causes the circular casing 16 around the rotary plug 19to arr tiallv rotate thereon or vice versa, t us brea ing communicationbetween 'the teat cup and the ports in the rota plug. soon as the teatcups are elevated, owever into an approximately vertical itioncommunication is restored and mil in operations may be commenced orcontinued Instead of a single rotary plug and casing being applied toeach teat cup, two separate rotary plugs and casings ma be provided asshown in Fig. 15, one o the said lugs having amilk ort 32 and nipple 33or connection to the exible milk tubing 24, and the other a pulsationport 34 and nipple 35 for connection to the' flexible pulsaton tubing25. A

Primarily, the invention contem lates improvements in teat cups includint e attachment of a simple and articu arly effective automatic cut-oil'mec anism directly to a teat cu a feature of the invention residing in te fact that the various ports form perfectly straight passages to and;from the teat cup thereb eliminating ob- 'ectionable bends and faciitating cleansing.

' y the angular arrangement of the milk and pulsation nipples rotarymovement of the device is made certain.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 2-' 1. Improvements relating to the teatcups of pneumatic milking machines, consisting in a tapered closure,having a rotary casing. and a tapered rotary plug mounted in saidcasing, said casing and plug having corresponding milk and pulsation'passages formed therein.

2. Improvements relating to the teat cups of milking machines,consisting in 'the combination with a teat cup havng a flexible innertube open at its lower end, of a tapered closure, a plug casing carriedby the closure, 'a rotary plug disposed within the casing, said casingand plug having suction and pulsation passages formed therein, andpilsation and suction nipples carried by the p ug.

3. In a pneumatic teat cu cut-off mechanism having suction and p ationpassages closure having a cup formed at its ?per end. and having fornedtherein a milk i scharge hole and a' pulsation port, a-tapered plugcasing carried by the closure, said casing having an o n ended mouth orpassageway the sides o which form limit stops, a tapered rotary ing,said plug aving a milk and a pulsation port formed therein, and suctionand pulsation nipples carried by the plug and passing through the mouthor passageway of the casing and engaging the 'desor limit stops thereofupon the teat cup falling or being elevated to operative osition.

5. Improvements relating to the teat cups of milking machines,consisting in the combination with a teat cup having a milk dischargenipple and a pulsation nipple, of a tapered plug casing having a milkport and a pulsaton port communicating with the nipples, said casinghaving a mouth or passagewa formed therein, a rotary tapered plugdsposed within the casin said plug aving a milk port and a pu sationport formed therein, and suction and pulsation nipples carried by theplug and passing through the mouth or passageway of the casng.

6. Improvements relating to the teat cups of milking machines,consisting in the combination with a teat cup having an open endedflexible inner tube, of a closure having an annular groove formedtherein, and a cut-off mechanism carried by the closure.

7 A pneumatic teat cup having, in combination, a milk and a pulsationport and an annular groove disposed between the ports and communicatingwith the atmosphere.

8. Im rovements relating to the teat cups of milkng machines, consistingin a teat cup having a cut-off mechanism provided with milk andpulsation ports, and means for preventing milk leakage communicatingwith the pulsation port of the mechanism.

9. Improvements relating to the teat cups of milkingmachines,-consisting in the combination with a teat cup having an openended flexible inner tube, of a closure and a cut-off mechanism providedwith milk and pulsation ports, said' flexible tube having an annulargroove formed therein for the purpose of preventing milk passing to thepulsation ports in the event of leakage.

10. Improvements relating to the teat cups of milking machines,consisting in the complug disposed within the cas-- bination with a teatc p havn an open `endedl flexible inner tube, of a c osure and a'cut-'off mechanism rovided with milk and pul`sation ports, sai flexibletube havin an annular groove formed therein, and sai closure having apassage formed therein to communicate with the annular groove an theatmosphere.

11. Improvements relating to the teat cups of pneumatic milkingmachines, consisting in the combination with a teat cup having a milkdischarge nipple and a pulsaton nipple of a separate tapered plug casinfor each nipple, each cas' havn' a port t erein, communicating wit arotary plug disposed in each casing, sai piug havng a port formedtherein and a npple car'ed by each plug communcating with the portthereof..

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. 20

' J. H. DAVIES.

Witness:

CECLL W. LE PLABTRIER.

its re atve nipple 1(

